Arrive and Drive Part II

An Afternoon On Forest Service Road 4210

BY JOHN JOYCE, PHOTOS BY PEG RYAN AND JEANNINE DOWNEY

There is a Public Service advertisement on TV encouraging visits to the forest and enjoying the flora and fauna. Sometimes unplanned events turn out to be a good opportunity and that was our experience on Oregon Region’s Arrive and Drive on Saturday, July 8. Through no fault of our drive leader Scott Dual, my wife Patty and I in our Porsche 928 became stranded on a remote Forest Service Road, number 4210 to be precise, between Estacada and Government Camp. After completing Instruction No.27, we experienced severe overheating and loss of oil pressure. We shut the car down, and tried to coast out to US 26 for cell coverage, but had to pull off to the side of the road before we made it to US 26. This provided an opportunity to enjoy the Mt. Hood National Forest on a delightful summer day at about 4,000 ft. The road is a narrow single-lane paved affair with a pullout about every half mile. It has a narrowcleared right of way in second-growth fir and cedar with some original old-growth trees. The trees provide spots of shade as the sun moves across the Mt. Hood National Forest.

The 928 was pulled to the side of the road with a patch of wild daisies and on occasion, the daisies were visited by dozens of butterflies. They appeared in different sizes and spectacular colors. During my 5 ½-hour adventure on FS 4210, I read the Owner’s Manual from start to finish looking for towing instructions, but none were to be found. The 928 comes with a very complete tool kit but the location for connecting the tow hook to the body was a mystery.

The sweep car, Neil Ward, and Heather Stanley were with us and departed toward US 26 in their Boxster with one of our AAA cards to find cell service, arrange a tow truck, and send back help. Unfortunately, AAA would not accept a second-party order and required the policyholder to make the reservation. Two hours later, Neil and Heather brought back Peg Ryan and Eric Lewis in their Boxster, and Carlos Santayana, and Jeannine Downey in Carlos’s Carrera 4S. Patty climbed into the back seat of the 911 and off they headed to again find cell service to arrange for AAA towing. During the next two hours Peg, Eric, and I became closely acquainted, swapping stories and shared interest in our cars. Around 3:00 pm, Peg and Eric headed back to US 26 to find a bathroom and the tow truck. I continued to explore the old-growth trees along the road.

Eventually, Peg, Eric, Carlos, Jean, and Patty appeared with a flatbed tow truck from Estacada. I suggested he use the tow hook from the 928 tool kit, which he did, and he located the connection point. The threads on the body were protected with a plastic plug with a 1/4-inch square socket receptacle. The tool kit included a light-speed wrench for removing the plug. The driver attempted to remove the plug, but the 50-year-old plug won and the square fitting sheared off the speed wrench. The tow truck driver was very experienced and he figured out how to load the 928 on the flatbed without damage. We climbed into the cab of the tow truck and two hours later dropped the car off inside Heckmann & Thiemann, thanks to Ed and Phyllis. Jim and Donna Schmidt picked us up and delivered us safely home (Later the damage was limited and reported to be a failure of the heater control valve and a damaged oil pressure switch, with no loss of oil or oil pressure.)

ORPCA is a successful region due to the quality of the members and their willingness to support stranded strangers on a remote Forest Service Road in the middle of the wilderness. More than the support, we enjoyed getting to know new region members, new to us, and all are incredible people. Sometimes unplanned events turn out to be a welcome opportunity.

Editor’s note: You may never need it, but do you know how to install the factory-provided towing hook that came with your car’s tool kit? Early cars usually have an under-body tie-down hook in front and a square or round plastic plug in the rear bumper trim or fascia that can be carefully pried out allowing access to a threaded receptacle. n